Archive for March, 2012

Emotions have the ability to take over our lives. Sometimes, my emotions get in the way of my classes, social life, and well-being. When this happens, I pick up a pen and write poetry.

I know poetry has the reputation to be difficult, but once I get going I can’t stop. There is something about putting my thoughts into a rhythmic metaphor and creating an art form that no one else may understand but myself. I love experiencing things that only my eyes comprehend; that my brain perfectly illustrates to answer my intuitions.

Music is poetry made into other forms of ingenuity. Without music, we would be walking around in the dark. I think you would agree. If you cannot give poetry a chance, you’re not giving music a chance.

Poetry is an impressive way to express ones sense of aesthetics. No one can say that they are bad at poetry, especially if they haven’t tried it. Next time you feel like life has gotten you stumped, put it on paper. If something is troubling you, poetry will force you to dig deep into your true feelings. If you are overwhelmingly happy, writing a poem will help you put the happiness into words, even when you think language cannot describe your feelings.

It is possible for a poet to compose music, draw pictures, take photos, not through a guitar, brush, or film, but with the angelic words that people speak around the world through rhythm and vision.

When most of us think of abusive relationships, we generally think of a man hitting a woman. Let’s say a couple gets into a huge fight and the boyfriend completely flips out, throws objects, punches walls, and hits his girlfriend.

Well you know what? That’s pretty cliche. Yeah, I said it. It’s the stereotypical abusive relationship with the dominant man belittling the woman in hopes of her bowing down to him while he stands tall with power and control in his hands.

I guarantee that you or someone you know has been a victim of an abusive relationship. I say this because abuse is not just physical. Abuse is constructed my humiliation, manipulation, and control.

As most of my readers know, I am in my early twenties. I deal with so much talk about relationships it’s almost overwhelming, and I’ve heard incredible stories about fights and disputes that still shock me to this day. I always ask the people that express their concern about their relationships with me, “why haven’t you left yet?” Their responses tend to be somewhere along the lines of the other person being wrapped around their finger.

When most people hear about these relationships they think they’re just plain stupid.

Sometimes they are.

But when a person has the ability to manipulate someone to the point of abuse, it’s not stupidity, it’s control. If a person can cut down the dignity of their boyfriend or girlfriend so they have the pleasure of this animalistic, king of the jungle behavior, sometimes there’s no turning back.

Victims catch the bait. They’re reeled in, and eaten alive while everyone else can watch the humiliation and torment. How disgusting.

We need to stop this abuse. We need to spread the word about what abuse really is, and to tell people that this isn’t a way to live. To all victims of abuse: you can get out and you will. Understand that it is never okay to be isolated by a relationship. It is never okay to feel the emotional stress, possessiveness, and intimidation. Never act a certain way to please others. All that matters is that you are happy. No one can judge your happiness other than yourself.

I stumbled upon a blog called xojane. Jane is the author, and she did something crazy that I want to do, too. When Jane was in high school, she took a criminology class. She had a popular teacher that students referred to as “Buddy.” The goofy teacher said that anyone who wrote to a serial killer and got a response would automatically get an “A” on the final exam.

And so she did.

Jane wrote to Richard Ramirez (a.k.a The Night Stalker). He brutally shot and stabbed people out of boredom. How sexy.

She sent the letter to him out in San Quintin. Here’s what she wrote:

Dear Mr. Ramirez,

I’m a high school girl and I find you fascinating.

We learned all about you in class and watched BOTH of your TV movies. I liked your leather jacket and aviator sunglasses!

I’m interested to know how you managed to avoid the police for so long. What is prison like? Do you ever get lonely? What do you like to do for fun?

Sincerely,

Julie Wilson

Of course she used a fake name, but he seriously responded!! He asked Jane about her taste in music and requested a photo of herself (eek!). He signed “Rick.”

I am going to do this! I always find myself glued to the T.V when watching documentaries about serial killers or crazy nutcases who murder their kids. I’m a fan of the show Snapped where wives murder their husbands. Good, healthy viewing. Let’s not forget the Locked Up marathons on MSNBC and To Catch A Predator on Dateline. I just can’t get enough!

I’ll be doing research on the best fit serial killer for me. Wish me luck! Seriously.

Their motto is “Get it off your chest without it biting you in the ass!”

This site was created in 2010 by Zach Burt who wanted a way to vent about things without it weighing him down with the fear of it being used against him in the future. I think it’s a really interesting concept that can help thousands of people.

So I tried this out. I went to the home page and chose between “listening” or “venting.” I chose listening. The site set me up with an anonymous user that wanted to vent to me. I didn’t really know how to begin the conversation; I didn’t even know who I was talking to! So I just said, “how are you?.” The venter’s response was, “ugh, bad.” After asking for more details the venter expressed his feelings toward his girlfriend. He said that he doesn’t love her anymore, but he felt like he couldn’t break up with her because she has a low self-esteem. I gave him my two cents, and some suggestions on how to handle the sticky situation. I’ve had my fair share of relationships so he appreciated my advice and ability to relate.

I never got his name- don’t even know where he’s from. I didn’t ask, and I didn’t really care, but it felt good to help someone out.

I spent over an hour on this site last night listening to venters communicate their life’s issues with me. I listened to a rape victim, a closet homosexual, and a woman deciding between abortion or adoption.

I think this site is incredible. I gained a great deal of satisfaction by helping people with my words. Although I don’t really have anything that I need to anonymously vent about, I will continue to listen to people who simply need someone to talk to. Whether it’s needing consultation about girlfriend issues, or advice on how to cope with sexual assault, Compassion Pit will be there to help anyone; listener or venter.

Millions of people (mostly women) are swooning over Pinterest. If you have never visited this site, Pinterest is best described as a virtual pin-board where users find photos and videos on the site and “repin” them to be on their “boards.” There is a wide variety of pins for people to see; from fashion, art, home decor, weddings, and beauty.

I have been an avid Pinterest user for about 5 months, but I have problems with it. Big problems.

Pinterest does not have pins for real people. Being in my early 20s, I have some really big dreams. I yearn for the day to marry prince charming, start my own family, own my own house, and have as much jewelry and clothes as I can fit in my warehouse-sized closet. I am not the only one my age who would love to have all of these things some time in my life, but Pinterest gives women my age a whole lot of pressure.

This site makes me feel like life isn’t as great with love handles and a small choice of pumps. I’ve spent way too much time oodling over pictures of “perfect bodies” which have almost convinced me that my assets just aren’t up to par. Almost. 🙂

Comparing life to the mansions seen in the southern Hamptons, and the designer clothes models are wearing can really take a toll on women.

Such a small percentage of people will be able to afford such a wedding. Why do weddings have to be such a huge deal? Why is long hair all the rage when short hair is just as beautiful? I don’t understand why a site like this is so popular when it’s so hard to relate to. Maybe it’s the jealousy that women are so attracted to.

What’s the deal with all of these women pinning dainty recipes and nifty tricks for cleaning the house? I think it’s complete bull that gender roles are reaching back into our society. Relationships are very different today than they were when Mrs. Clever was around, thank goodness. We love our stay-at-home dads and same-sex marriages. We can’t get enough of our CEO moms and famous cake baking dad’s, right? We have come so far from gender inequality, why are we going backwards again?

I have spent some time backpacking as well as visiting close friends in Switzerland, Germany, and Spain. After exploring not only Europe, but my own self during these voyages, I have grown a passion for traveling. There is nothing more rewarding than entering a foreign country with a backpack and map, and successfully finding your destination.

I need to continue doing this before I don’t think it’s cool anymore. Which is why I want to begin house sitting after graduation (May 2013).

“You’re doing WHAT?”

I know it may sound ridiculous, but this is a growing trend.

House sitting is for people who love the outdoors, enjoy animals, and are comfortable in foreign places. Some home owners hire people to do yard work, feed their pets, and watch over their property while they are away. Others need help taking care of their ranch, and things of that nature. The house sitter does this while they stay on the home owner’s property in a guest bedroom or pool house free of charge. It ‘s a win-win. Work for a place to stay, while home owners receive the help they need.

There are several trusted websites out there to sign up with. The costs and benefits of each vary. Here are a few that I’ve done some research on along with the yearly subscription costs.

Mindmyhouse.com – $20/year: This site has the lowest subscription cost I have found!

Housecarers.com $50/year: The majority of listings on this website are for Australia.

Caretaker.org– $29.95/year: This is the only one of these four websites that doesn’t allow you to peruse all listings for free, you have to become a paid member. It is a popular one though, and also includes opportunities to take care of and operate functional properties as well (i.e. bed and breakfasts, etc.)

The lifestyle that house sitting provides is perfect for me. I can explore different parts of the world on a very slim budget. I get to enjoy a slow pace of travel, and become involved in each community that I visit. And the home owner gets a valuable service in return – a responsible person to care and maintain for their property, their pets, and whatever else needs attending to. I would love to do this with a close friend or family member.